introducing Laura as Inari, the goddess of abundance
Laura is the embodiment of playful, creative energy. Her passion and exuberance for life are as evident in her brightly colored hair as they are in her smile, her writing, and her bright personality. Laura is a graduate student in the English program at Florida Atlantic University, and has an extensive background in gender studies. She is also a writer of graphic novels and a cosplayer when she can find the time. Creative energy is Laura’s inner fire, and for this shoot...
“The trickstress ‘imagines a new reality and then finds a way to bring it into being, often through deception because the old order will not give in without a fight’ ”
About Laura
Laura is the embodiment of playful, creative energy. Her passion and exuberance for life are as evident in her brightly colored hair as they are in her smile, her writing, and her bright personality. Laura is a graduate student in the English program at Florida Atlantic University, and has an extensive background in gender studies. She is also a writer of graphic novels and a cosplayer when she can find the time. Creative energy is Laura’s inner fire, and for this shoot, we chose a goddess that embodied Laura’s playful creativity and courage to confront social stereotypes through her scholarship and creative writing. Laura’s “Splitting Seams” (www.splittingseams.com) graphic novels explore the challenges and gifts of a set of twins who are sewn together at birth in an attempt to save their life. This series addresses themes such as mental and social differences, stereotypes, and the triumph of the human spirit through difficulty.
Laura embraced the theme of her photo shoot with enthusiasm, and we loved the way her playful and powerful spirit came through in these photographs. The interplay between her lavender ombre hair, her fair skin, and the purple kimono were just magical! Makeup artist Luciana Portes did an incredible job as well! I love the tiny jewels at the corners of Laura’s eye, which express a literal mischievous twinkle!
About the Goddess
The Goddess Inari is the Japanese goddess of fertility and abundance. She is often depicted carrying rice or armfuls of food/produce, or even eating. She is portrayed as male/female and androgenous. Many Trickster God/desses are often gender non-normative, and for this reason, have served as deities for the transgender and alternative lifestyle communities. In literature and folklore, Trickster/ess figures were often court jesters, clowns, circus creatures, or fools (Shakespeare used this trope frequently). Trickster deities were also quite frequently shapeshifters and took animal form to teach mortals a lesson or two. Uncle Remus’ tales of the fox and Native American tales of foxes, Coyote, Raven, and Grandmother Spider who sits at the center of all creation are some well-known examples of this theme. Many Native traditions considered clowns and tricksters as essential to a connection with the divine. It is only in recent modern culture that the sacred has been so cruelly divided from the profane. For more info on Native American Mythology, read anything by Paula Gunn Allen, poet and memorist (I recommend “The Sacred Hoop”)
Kate Bornstein writes of the importance of challenging gender norms and the powerful role of tricksters, drag queens and all those that reveal the fluidity of cultural norms (“Send in the Clowns”). The Goddess Inari often embodied the form a fox that shapeshifted into women. She was also associated with the kitsune, or nine-tailed fox. The more tails a fox has, the wiser and more powerful it was considered. Jewels and pearls are also a common symbol of Inari. Other common elements in depictions of Inari include a sickle, a sheaf or sack of rice, and a sword. Another belonging was their whip—although they were hardly known to use it, it was a powerful weapon that was used to burn people's crops of rice. In Laura’s photos, you can see the symbols of the pearls and jewels, as well as the red and white flowers with pearl centers that symbolize Inari’s colors.
Written by and Goddess Consultation provided by Mary Reid Bogue, mrboguewrites@gmail.com
Curious about what it would be like to have your own Goddess Photoshoot? Send me a message and let's talk about what kind of photos we can create for you.
why I chose to do a Goddess Photoshoot - Christina's story
When Francesca Bliss first mentioned the ‘Goddess photo shoot’ concept, my sensible self replied, “How silly!” And within a nanosecond, my adventure-seeking self said, “I’m in! When can we start?”
You see, I’m at that stage of life where being sensible and responsible are not only goals, but necessary qualities. Yet, I can’t deny it. My appetite for adventure has never diminished.
When Francesca Bliss first mentioned the ‘Goddess photoshoot’ concept, my sensible self replied, “How silly!” And within a nanosecond, my adventure-seeking self said, “I’m in! When can we start?”
You see, I’m at that stage of life where being sensible and responsible are not only goals, but necessary qualities. Yet, I can’t deny it. My appetite for adventure has never diminished. When Francesca suggested a journey into the territory of goddesses (just a stone’s throw away in Boca Raton, Florida), how could I say ‘no’?
Here is what I learned from the Goddess of Change - in her own words:
“Everything happens in its own good time. And there is no time like the present to allow change to replenish your soul with light and joy.”
I had been feeling sluggish and lost in a mire of details while trying to juggle many facets of a life suddenly filled with complexities. At every turn, I felt I was losing ground. Losing a part of my very essence. At times, I’ve felt like a slave, both to my emotions and to my body that have dragged me through treacherous straits.
Although my highest aspiration has always been to heal wounded spirits, no matter how much I’ve tried, my actions have so often fallen short. My healing arrows have missed their target.
“Sometimes the necessary change is as subtle as a slight shift in weight or stance, a dropping of the shoulder, an almost imperceptible smile, and suddenly, one’s target hits home!”
In my case, the readjustment to life in the bloodless third stage of a woman’s life has been nothing short of an explosion. It’s as if half of my being has been asleep and is, only now, waking up. For most of my adult life, I’ve been following in the footsteps of the male hunters - totally shunning my female nature. In spite of being born at the brink of the ‘Age of Aquarius’, I have never truly been convinced of feminine power. The louder the battle cry for ‘liberation’, the more I became a confirmed skeptic.
"And so, after living a lifetime of basking in the moonlight of my ‘sun god’, it is time to SPARKLE! At dawn, I awaken to greet my sun where water meets land. Our embrace generates heat and light to all who attend. These are the rituals continued from time immemorial. We gather the nutrients from the soil that feed our bodies and the fire from the sky that light the flames of our soul. In our unity, we are complete. As long as the sun shines and the oceans bathe our shores, as long as we remember to open our arms to the skies and plant our feet firmly on the earth, we are whole - and powerful!”
These are the words of Changing Woman.
You may also like:
Curious about what it would be like to have your own Goddess Photoshoot? Send me a message and let's talk about what kind of photos we can create for you.
fascination with hats
I have always been drawn to hats and lately had a chance to photograph many women wearing them. There is something about hats that just transforms you into an elegant classy lady or a playful sassy girl. My friend Claire (in the first two portraits) has tons of hats, from fancy to cowboy and beach hats, and after our photo shoot she said that she might transform her style and start wearing hats all the time and become known as That Lady Who Always Wears Hats. Why not? And the Russian beauties...
I have always been drawn to hats and lately had a chance to photograph many women wearing them. There is something about hats that just transforms you into an elegant classy lady or a playful sassy girl. My friend Claire (in the first two portraits) has tons of hats, from fancy to cowboy and beach hats, and after our photo shoot she said that she might transform her style and start wearing hats all the time and become known as That Lady Who Always Wears Hats. Why not? And the Russian beauties in the third and fourth portrait brought their hats to the shoot and felt so liberated by being able to wear them in a judge-free zone of public opinion. How feminine and sultry they look! Here is to ladies wearing hats and to looking fabulous!
Which hat reflects your style? Or which hat would you want to wear for your dream photo shoot? Tell me in the comments!
the queen of fairies (Goddess Photoshoot report)
I met Teri at the New Moon Circles that are regularly held at the Red Tent and are lead by the radiant Elaina Beam. I admired this woman from afar - her statuesque posture, huge smile, eyes radiating kindness, and a sparkle of tinsel strands in her blond hair. I remember one time "the homework assignment" for the circle was to bring a poem and Teri and I happened to bring the same poem, The Guest House, by Rumi. When I was eight months pregnant and revisited the women's circle after a...
I met Teri at the New Moon Circles that are regularly held at the Red Tent and are lead by the radiant Elaina Beam. I admired this woman from afar - her statuesque posture, huge smile, eyes radiating kindness, and a sparkle of tinsel strands in her blond hair. I remember one time "the homework assignment" for the circle was to bring a poem and Teri and I happened to bring the same poem, The Guest House, by Rumi. When I was eight months pregnant and revisited the women's circle after a long break, Teri, who was sitting next to me, asked, "Do you have a pediatrician?" That's how my daughter and I got ourselves an amazing doctor :)
Goddess Photoshoot was Teri's gift from her boyfriend, who had heard about it through the grapevine. (What a fabulous and unique present for your beloved friend or partner... hint, hint!) The goddess consultation revealed that Teri embodied Goddess Oonagh (pronounced OO-NAH), the queen of fairies. Now that this first step of Goddess Photoshoot was done, several things had to be carefully planned in order to bring the Goddess through in images.
Oonagh is said to have golden sparkly hair (just like Teri's, but longer), she is the goddess of love and is considered a protectress of young animals (have you seen Teri's Facebook page? It is all filled with photos of dogs!) Oonagh is also the Queen of Fairies, which perfectly matches Teri's life's devotion to being a pediatrician - caring for children with her magic touch (as well as guiding new moms through the first months of motherhood!). "Oonagh arrives in your life to bless your relationships, bring happiness and joy, awaken your inner child and help you reach your dreams. Your strong resonances with Oonagh suggest that you also serve the role of blessing, bringer of dreams and mentor to others. Oonagh is also a goddess of exercise and sacred dance, so every time you dance you are invoking her in your life!" (from the Personal Goddess Archetype Map, prepared by Mary Reid Bogue).
Oonagh is the goddess that is associated with nature, so from the very beginning I knew that the perfect spot for this shoot would be the Yamato Natural Scrubs area, which has my favorite Spanish moss, and offers much versatility in terms of vegetation and places to shoot.
Teri didn't have clothes that matched the theme of our shoot, so I set out to either create the perfect dress, or find it. Having watched Sue Bryce (love her!) make beautiful dresses with big tulle skirts, I decided to make one myself. I bought dark green tulle and beautiful emerald stretch knit fabric with a vision of a grandiose dress that I would make, until I got home and started playing with the fabric to discover that I hadn't bought enough of it. So instead of the huge dress, I made a small dress, which you can see in the images below - I simply wrapped Teri in the two layers of fabric, and adorned her head with a flower crown, which I also made myself. The headdress idea came to me when I was playing around on Pinterest. I bought a bunch of artificial flowers at Michael's and gun-glued all the pieces together. It turned out pretty amazing, in my opinion. The green "dress" and floral headpiece were more along the lines of nature/forest nymph, but I thought that it fit our theme. I also made a small crown out of yellow/gold flowers.
Since the epic green dress didn't quite work out as I planned, I continued my quest for the perfect dress, especially since the original vision was for a sparkly gold or silver dress, something very fairy-like. My favorite place to do treasure hunting is thrift stores, so I headed to the local shop and after having searched through a bunch of dresses (many of which would have been perfect for other goddess or simply dress up shoots - that's why I must pace myself when I go thrift shopping!), I found THE DRESS. The golden dress with sparkly beads was the perfect match for our shoot! It was size 4 and I sent Teri a photo of it, asking her opinion. She loved it and the only concern that remained was whether we would be able to squeeze Teri into it the day of the shoot. Guess what? It fit like a glove! It was the "meant to be dress" so, of course, it fit! The dress was beautifully complemented by Teri's own jewelry, which she had carefully picked out for the occasion.
In post processing, to give the photos that golden hue, I ran an Alien Skin filter on the photos, as well as added a texture, which was a photo of the dress that I took, shooting wide open for bokeh effect. The texture lent its golden tint and dreamy bokeh circles to the final images, adding more magic.
Another trick that I used in this photoshoot was something that I learned from Lara Jade and her Creative Live (LOVE them!) workshop with Sue Bryce titled "Experimental Portraits". To get that whimsical dreamy accent to photos, Lara shoots through a crystal. I was holding the crystal off to the side of the lens (the second photo in the gallery below) and focused on Teri's face, and the crystal added this rainbow-like reflection/cast, that I really like. I thought that it was a pretty neat trick, and I shall employ it in my further photography experiments.
I am VERY HAPPY with how Teri's fairy goddess photos came out! I couldn't have done it alone, of course. Special thanks to Mary Reid Bogue, who did Teri's Goddess Reading, and to my wonderful friend Inna, who was my lighting/wardrobe assistant the day of the shoot! And to Teri, for her beautiful and radiant self and for allowing us a glimpse of her magic side.
Curious about what it would be like to have your own Goddess Photoshoot? Send me a message and let's talk about what kind of photos we can create for you.
Snow Queen - the story behind the image
The idea to create this image of Snow Queen came about at the end of September when, pondering about upcoming Halloween, I realized that have never done a photo shoot in a really exaggerated disguise. Having conceived that notion, I immediately contacted a professional makeup artist Aradia Vive whom I had met just weeks before. Aradia of Bridal Makeovers by Aradia (www.bridalmakeovers.com) told me she would be interested in working on a project after having...
The idea to create this image of Snow Queen came about at the end of September when, pondering about upcoming Halloween, I realized that have never done a photo shoot in a really exaggerated disguise. Having conceived that notion, I immediately contacted a professional makeup artist Aradia Vive whom I had met just weeks before. Aradia of Bridal Makeovers by Aradia (www.bridalmakeovers.com) told me she would be interested in working on a project after having seen a few screenshots that I dug up in Google images. My next step was to find a model for the role and I immediately texted Nelly, who has been my contributor and friend and who is always willing to partake in my photographic experiments. After scheduling an appointment for the makeup to be done, Nelly and I set off on our quest to obtain all the materials to bring the image to life and it just happened so that in the car, on the way to the local arts and crafts store, I casually suggested the idea of a snow queen as a theme. I guess it struck a chord with Nelly so it was determined that snow queen is what she would to materialize into. Having narrowed it down to a theme made purchasing supplies so much easier - we bought rhinestones of assorted sizes, a jar of glitter, white hair spray, wired tinsel, a bag of foil bits, and silver nail polish. The crown was created out of a decoration that was sold in the bridal/floral section, which I cut into smaller branches and attached using wired tinsel to a headband. I must say, I'm extremely proud of my creation - tis the first crown I had ever made! The entire trip to Bal Harbor and back, where Aradia performed makeup magic, took about five hours, but fighting rush hour traffic on the way back to Boca to do the shoot, we both felt satisfied that the hardest part of putting the image together had already been done. Once we got to the studio, the magic of transformation continued as Nelly skillfully (insisting she did not need me help when being asked five times) put her hair up in an intricate yet tasteful design and adorned it with a crown. To make sure the queen looked like she was made of snow, I proceeded to spray her hair with white hair spray, which on accidental contact with skin proved to be useful in that regard as well, so we sprayed Nelly's arms as well to give them a silvery glow. The final touch was to tie Nelly's chest with a silver belt (yes, it is a belt indeed) which we found at Marshall's for five dollars - those who seek truly find!
The actual photo shoot was conducted with just one speed-light and a soft box. After having experimented with a number of poses, the million dollar shot turned out to be this image you see here. It was lots of fun to research ideas and come up with a theme and then manifest that vision into life. I am also very proud to have won an honorable mention for this image at a monthly photography contest that is held for members of a meetup called The Art of Seeing (it's a wonderful group of seasoned and aspiring photographers that provides a lot of inspiration and feedback).
follow your bliss
I always dreamt of being a photographer and have been fascinated with photography for years. In May of 2012, when I realized that I can have the life of my dreams if I dare to do the things that bring me joy, I bought a camera and resolved to learn photography. Having acquired the most important piece of equipment for the task, I signed up for two classes at a local art school (Boca Raton Museum of Art School) - Introduction to Digital Photography and Photoshop for Beginners. I learned a lot...
I always dreamt of being a photographer and have been fascinated with photography for years. In May of 2012, when I realized that I can have the life of my dreams if I dare to do the things that bring me joy, I bought a camera and resolved to learn photography. Having acquired the most important piece of equipment for the task, I signed up for two classes at a local art school (Boca Raton Museum of Art School) - Introduction to Digital Photography and Photoshop for Beginners. I learned a lot during those classes and was in a constant state of euphoria from being immersed into this environment. In the introduction to photography the teacher gave us several assignments: to photograph a window, a self portrait, a portrait, and a person in a mask. Before I had signed up for that class I was convinced that most of my photography subjects would be animals and all of nature in general with all its beautiful detailed manifestations in particular. However, having done the last project on photographing a person in a mask (my at that time friend had a mask and volunteered herself for the project), I realized that I am irresistibly drawn to photographing humans. I fell in love with people since then and continue to be to this day. My most exciting photo shoots are the ones in which the subject is photographed not in their usual environment being their daily selves but where he or she comes up with a theme or dares to play out a fantasy or a dream. The latter type of photo shoot requires more preparation - searching for the right outfit and accessories, location, poses and trying to really convey a certain emotional state. This is also the type of shoot during which people realize that being a model is not as easy as it sounds - being able to communicate through your body, facial expressions and eyes is no easy task! These types of photo shoots leave my models ecstatic - it is not every day that you get to play dress up and reenact a dream and then feel like a star when looking at the professionally edited images. Being able to contribute to that state of joy is what makes me ecstatic about what I do - showing people how beautiful they are, inspiring people to dream and convincing them that dreams come true. Mine did.
She was sitting in a hammock tied to two giant pine trees next to a creek in the woods of West Virgina. She was smiling, so carefree and joyful that I was immediately drawn to her. Being in that neck of the woods was an adventure for me. I left my two kids under the age of 4 with my husband and went to the East Coast Tantra Festival to photograph.